[sci.electronics] Remote Home monitoring via telephone!

misha@bud.UUCP (Michael Umansky) (04/21/89)

I am looking for any kind of device which allows remote monitoring
of one's home by calling in and listening to a built in microphone.
So far I have found a device called Sensaphone Model SC-145.
It is available from Fordham-Scope (800-645-9518) for $200 but that
is a little bit expensive (my opinion).  This device will let you
call in and listen on its built in microphone as well as dial up
to 8 numbers to report any of 6 conditions that trigger the dialing.
I would be satisfied with monitoring only if there is such a beast.
Post to the net if you can so that others who might be interested
will also read the info.
Thanks to all.
misha
-- 
NAME:	Michael Umansky (sun!aeras!foxy!misha)
WORK:	Arix Corp.;  821 Fox Lane;  San Jose, CA  95131
HOME:	4331 Lincoln Way; San Francisco, CA  94122
PHONE:	(408) 922-1751 (work); (415) 564-3921 (home)

MJB@cup.portal.com (Martin J Brown-Jr) (04/24/89)

If your looking for remote home monitoring, you don't have to look any farther
than the Panasonic KX-T1625 Automatic Telephone Answering System. Don't be
scared off by the long name, it's one of Panasonic's standard phone answering
machines that uses tone remote control (via any touch tone phone), and one
of its features is the ability to listen to your house via its built in mic.
And its costs a whole lot less than $200.00, around $125.00 as I recall.
                                - MJB -

kg19+@andrew.cmu.edu (Kurt A. Geisel) (04/25/89)

And then there is the para-legal "Infinity Transmitter" which does
essentially the same thing, but you can, using a special tone encoder,
connect directly to the room "microphone" WITHOUT THE PHONE EVER
RINGING.  Without the tone encoder the telephone works normally!

You can't sell completed units, due to its obvious bugging
applications, but there are plans available from several sources.
Email me if you are interested.

If you want to get really fancy, there's Steve Ciarcia's "Video Rover"
system which uses his Imagewise image transmitter to give you a video
picture of your home, complete with camera-aiming commands.

For the standard phone-snoop equipment (which WILL ring the phone and
alert any occupants, authorized or otherwise) contact:

HELLO DIRECT
2346 Bering Drive
San Jose, CA  95131-1121

1-800-HI-HELLO  (800-444-3556)

Kurt Geisel                       SNAIL :
Carnegie Mellon University            65 Lambeth Dr.
ARPA : kg19+@andrew.cmu.edu           Pittsburgh, PA 15241
UUCP : uunet!nfsun!kgeisel  "I will not be pushed, filed, indexed, stamped,
BIX  : kgeisel               briefed, debriefed, or numbered!" - The Prisoner

dave@wiley.UUCP (Dave Agabra) (04/25/89)

	The Panasonic 1424 answering machine (and a few other models) have
    this feature.  They are available at most big electronics chains such
    as Circuit City and Federated for under $100.  To monitor, you just call
    up and after it answers punch in a code.  I've never used this feature,
    and, quite frankly, can't think of any reason someone *would* use it,
    but I guess someone did or else it wouldn't be there.  BTW, I'd recommend
    this answering machine.  It's easy to use and got high marks from Consumer
    Reports magazine.  The only drawback is that the mechanism is loud, so you
    probably wouldn't want it in your bedroom.

						---- Dave

-- 
 ----------------------------------------------   
  A person should always believe in something.    dave@wiley.UUCP
  I believe I'll have another beer.               {cit-vax | trwrb}!wiley!dave
 ----------------------------------------------  

georgep@vice.ICO.TEK.COM (George Pell) (04/26/89)

In article <209@bud.UUCP> vice!tekcae!tektronix!sequent!verdix!ogccse!husc6!bbn!rochester!rutgers!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!pasteur!ames!sun-arpa!male!pitstop!sun!aeras!bud!misha misha@bud.UUCP (Michael Umansky) writes:
>I am looking for any kind of device which allows remote monitoring
>of one's home by calling in and listening to a built in microphone.

A Cobra Model AN 8516 answering machine has this feature.  I'm sure
others do also.

geo

markb@ihlpb.ATT.COM (Mark Blumenthal) (04/26/89)

In article <209@bud.UUCP>, misha@bud.UUCP (Michael Umansky) writes:
> I am looking for any kind of device which allows remote monitoring
> of one's home by calling in and listening to a built in microphone.

MJB@cup.portal.com (Martin J Brown-Jr) adds:
>  than the Panasonic KX-T1625 Automatic Telephone Answering System. Don't be
...
>  of its features is the ability to listen to your house via its built in mic.
>  And its costs a whole lot less than $200.00, around $125.00 as I recall.


With the ans. mach. approach, your phone rings, the recorded announcement 
begins, and then you type in your touch tone codes to turn on room monitoring.
Whatever/whoever you are trying to monitor (baby sitter, child home alone,
pet, burglar, etc.) hears the ans. mach. go off and then some touch tones, 
and thus may suspect being monitored.  The monitoring only lasts a few minutes,
and you are then queued to re-enter another monitor command or the line drops.

You may want to try the "infinity transmitter" (i.t.) approach.  The i.t. is
installed inside your phone, and gets it's juice from the phone (or from a
battery if one is using this device for illegal eavesdropping).  The i.t. 
intercepts your call BEFORE the phone rings.  You then type in your code,
and the phone mouthpiece becomes a live whole-room mic (very sensitive).
Available from your local neighborhood criminal type, or by mail order--
look in the back of Radio Electronics Magazine or Popular Electronics for those
companies that advertise wireless mics.  They sell infinity xmitters.
Most are kits that range from $45 to $100.  Assembled units slightly higher.
Check local laws before assembling anything like this.    

Mark Blumenthal
att!ihlpb!markb
Work: (312) 979-3676  
Home: (312) 393-3038  

kg19+@andrew.cmu.edu (Kurt A. Geisel) (04/27/89)

I am going to have to retract my statement about no completed units
being available.  It seems that Information Unlimited has a completed
unit, but the price seems a little high.  (They seem to bypass some
state laws by putting a "Check with your local laws" warning in their
catalog.)

The IU unit's order number is LIST10 and costs $169.50.

Information Unlimited
Box 716
Amherst, NH 03031
800-221-1705

On the other hand, Pan-Com International (as well as a few others)
sells plans only.  They claim the device can be built for $25.00.

It is IT-P and costs $8.50.

Panaxis Productions
PO Box 130
Paradise, CA 95967-0130
916-534-0417 M-F 0900-1800

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with the above companies.

- Kurt
Kurt Geisel                       SNAIL :
Carnegie Mellon University            65 Lambeth Dr.
ARPA : kg19+@andrew.cmu.edu           Pittsburgh, PA 15241
UUCP : uunet!nfsun!kgeisel  "I will not be pushed, filed, indexed, stamped,
BIX  : kgeisel               briefed, debriefed, or numbered!" - The Prisoner

sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) (04/27/89)

In article <wYIvXgy00WB9EABp0b@andrew.cmu.edu> kg19+@andrew.cmu.edu (Kurt A.
Geisel) writes:
>And then there is the para-legal "Infinity Transmitter" which does
>essentially the same thing, but you can, using a special tone encoder,
>connect directly to the room "microphone" WITHOUT THE PHONE EVER
>RINGING.  Without the tone encoder the telephone works normally!

I saw a book called (I believe) "The Big Brother Game" that had plans for
many type of bugging devices, and this was one of them. You might try a 
library.

>If you want to get really fancy, there's Steve Ciarcia's "Video Rover"
>system which uses his Imagewise image transmitter to give you a video
>picture of your home, complete with camera-aiming commands.

From what I understand the FCC prohibits any kind of unlicensed video
transmitter. I remember a project long ago in popular electronics on making a
video transmitter for your home, and there was a big stink over it after it was
published. Has this changed? 

-- 
John Sparks   |  {rutgers|uunet}!ukma!corpane!sparks | D.I.S.K. 24hrs 1200bps
[not for RHF] |          sparks@corpane.UUCP         | 502/968-5401 thru -5406 
Chicken Little only has to be right once.

sammy@psivax.UUCP (Samuel M. Katz) (04/29/89)

In article <17551@cup.portal.com> MJB@cup.portal.com (Martin J Brown-Jr) writes:
>If your looking for remote home monitoring, you don't have to look any farther
>than the Panasonic KX-T1625 Automatic Telephone Answering System. Don't be
>scared off by the long name, it's one of Panasonic's standard phone answering
>machines that uses tone remote control (via any touch tone phone), and one
>of its features is the ability to listen to your house via its built in mic.
>And its costs a whole lot less than $200.00, around $125.00 as I recall.
>                                - MJB -


Even the cheaper Panasonic machines have this feature, mine was only $60.
I use it to check on our housekeeper |-),well, she's supposed to work 6 hours (ha!).
-- 
		Samuel Katz, Pacesetter Systems Inc.
 {sdcrdcf|ttidca|group3|scgvaxd|nrcvax|mc0|hoptoad|csun|quad1|
  bellcore|logico|rdlvax|ihnp4}!
		psivax!sammy

tmlst2@cisunx.UUCP (Tom Link) (05/02/89)

In article <576@corpane.UUCP> sparks@corpane.UUCP (John Sparks) writes:
>
>I saw a book called (I believe) "The Big Brother Game" that had plans for
>many type of bugging devices, and this was one of them. You might try a 
>library.
>
Or you might try
                   CRB Research Books, Inc.
                   P. O. Box 56
                   Commack, New York  11725

They publish:
     Radio frequency registries, Scanners, Communications Monitoring, Short
Wave Radio, Amature Radio, CB Radio, Clandestine Operations, Cryptography,
Electronic Surveillance, Countermeasures, Espionage, & the 'H' word (rhymes
with 'sacking').  Including "The Big Brother Game" by Scott French  (237pg
8 1/2 x 11 @ $15.95)

I'm not associated with the company except that I bought several scanner and
radio book, and now receive their catalog.

Tom Link
chain@unix.cis.pittsburgh.edu